Bodyguards
by LinaStar
Summary: Hinata has an unwanted admirer and doesn't know how to handle it.  Her teammates offer to act as bodyguards until the stalker gives up.  No pairings, just a Team 8 oneshot


**A little something I wrote awhile ago and thought I'd post here. Enjoy!**

Bodyguards

It was a week after Hinata's 15th birthday. She was on her way to the practice arena to work with Kurenai and Shino on an advanced technique. The skies were a bright blue with a few lazy white clouds low on the horizon. It was crisp and cold and Hinata smiled at the good fortune. Inwardly she was a little worried about practice because Kurenai-sensei was drilling them on this technique due to a failure in a previous mission. They had completed the mission successfully, however Kurenai claimed it was only because the Fates had taken pity on them. Their forms were sloppy and they had a long way to go. However, the good weather lifted Hinata's spirits. The sun was so warm, especially for the winter, that she unzipped her jacket, allowing the light breeze to caress her figure.

Halfway through town she heard a whistle and she turned quickly to see who it was. A tall, lean sandy haired ninja stood leaning against a building, his dark eyes studying her approvingly. His headband marking him as one of the visiting ninja from the Village Hidden in the Mist glinted in the sun around his left bicep. She had heard that a delegation from the Mist had arrived several days ago to work out some treaty or another with the Lady Tsunade but this was the first time she had seen one walking the streets. It was unusual that he had no escort. "Hey there pretty lady, where are you off to in such a hurry?" he asked her sweetly, winking. Hinata blushed and looked around her, trying to figure out who he was talking about before she realized that he was indeed talking to her.

"I-I have practice this morning!" she said softly, scuffing a toe of her sandals in the dirt and trying to avoid his penetrating gaze.

The man grinned and sidled casually over to her, coming a little too close for comfort. Hinata backed up a little, but she bumped into another wall. "Mmm, practice huh? I'm off duty right now; maybe you could come to my room at the inn and show me some of your moves?" Hinata winced inwardly and her face turned a rather mind boggling shade of crimson. That was probably the worst pick up line she had ever heard but… he was using pick up lines on HER. Nobody had ever used a pickup line on her before. Nobody had ever even looked at her the way this man was looking at her now and Hinata was terribly confused as to why this was happening. She raised her hands up in front of her face in a gesture of apology. "I-I'm sorry, my teammates are waiting for me and I'll be late… perhaps another time…" She really didn't want to see the man ever again because of the terrible awkwardness of this situation, but she didn't want to be rude.

The man smiled a winning smile and leaned a little closer to the girl. "The name's Yasumasa, and I'll hold you to that pretty lady. Another time it is."

Hinata gasped and spluttered, trying to find a way out of what she had apparently agreed to but thankfully was rescued by a loud voice. "Oi, Hinata. We're going to be late." Both parties looked up to see Shino, cloaked and masked as usual, his eyebrows narrowed dangerously over his dark glasses.

"H-Hai, Shino-kun! Gomen!" and with that Hinata ducked around the Mist ninja and darted to her teammate's side.

"See you later, Hinata-chan," the man had the audacity to say with a wide grin as the two hurried away.

After they were out of his sight, the two Hidden Leaf ninja slowed their pace and Hinata tried to ease her careening heart to a normal rhythm. "Friend of yours, Hinata?" Shino asked tersely. She shook her head.

"He came out of nowhere, and I didn't know what to do! I've never had anyone talk to me like that before. He said I was pretty and that he wanted me to go back to his room at the inn with him. I didn't know what to do so I kind of panicked…" she trailed off as she saw the look Shino was giving her. Even though she had only seen Shino's eyes a handful of times because the boy always wore his dark glasses she could almost always guess what he was thinking. "Shino-kun?"

He began to walk again; they were almost to the practice ring. Hinata followed him still hovering questioningly near him. "Hinata, next time this happens I want you to just say no and walk away. I know you are worried about hurting people's feelings, but when a guy says something like that, you know he's just looking for a good time at your expense. I know if it came down to it, you can defend yourself, but I don't like what I just saw."

Hinata sighed and looked down at her fingers, considering the situation that Shino had just walked in on. And of course he was right. At that moment, they entered the practice arena and their sensei was waiting impatiently for them in the center of the ring. "Hey, what's the hold up? You're late."

"There was an incident," Shino informed her in his normal soft and straightforward voice.

"An incident?" Kurenai asked, surprised. "What happened?"

"We discovered that Hinata needs to learn how to defend herself verbally. I found a guy on the street trying to sweet talk her into bed." He said it with such frankness that Hinata squeaked in protest and lowered her head to hide the shame on her face, but at the same time Shino had put a protective hand on her shoulder and was looking directly at their sensei in a rather pleading manner. Or as pleading as Shino ever got.

"Oh my, I figured this day would come eventually. Alright, new plan: we'll hold off on the technique today. Shino, do your warm ups while I chat with Hinata for a sec and then we're going to do some drills."

Shino nodded and walked toward the trees. Hinata watched as Kiba bounded toward the boy and began asking him something in hushed tones, glancing in her direction as he spoke. She blushed deeper, knowing that Kiba probably wasn't asking for jutsu pointers. She turned and followed her sensei to the other side of the clearing, sitting on the cold ground next to the genjutsu master when Kurenai motioned for her to do so. "Hinata," Kurenai said firmly but softly, "you know of course that as a kunoichi what you do with your own body is entirely your choice and that no one will stop you from any relations you choose to have with another person." Hinata turned a darker pink and nodded, unable to meet Kurenai's eyes with how embarrassing this conversation promised to be. "However, you also know that you have the right to refuse any offers that are presented as well and no one can put you into an uncomfortable situation without your consent."

Again Hinata nodded. Of course she knew these things. All the kunoichi were required to take several classes apart from the boys in the Academy on their role as women in the shinobi force. They were taught their rights to their bodies and the basic sex education classes. Their last year in academy, the girls were introduced to the art of seduction and were given the choice as to whether or not they wished to apply for such missions that may have a need for a kunoichi's seduction skills. These were missions that they could deny at any time without further questions.

"Now I know that you probably aren't ready for that kind of situation yet but you are coming to the age where you are going to start garnering the attention of men. You've grown up Hinata and like as not there are people who will notice that you have come into adulthood," Kurenai continued. "Now naturally I know that you are no one to be trifled with, as you have had the best sensei this village can offer," she winked, trying to lighten the mood as Hinata looked absolutely mortified at the idea of everyone looking at her and had sunk further into her jacket (which she had zipped up to her throat). "But I also know that you are not an extrovert and so many guys might see your shyness as a weakness. That being said, I want to try some exercises with Kiba and Shino today and see if we can teach you how to verbally defend yourself against a guy that comes looking for a good time. How does that sound?"

Hinata quivered slightly and peeked up at her sensei from the dead grass she has been trailing her nervous fingers through. "Ano, Kurenai-sensei, d-do we really need to do all that? I-I promise it won't happen again! I j-just got a little flustered is all. I'll be firmer next time, honest!" Hinata knew that her shyness was a weakness but she didn't want her teammates to be dragged into her failure. They were already holding off important practice because of her encounter this morning. If she just avoided that man then maybe it would be okay?

Kurenai could sense her student's fear and rested a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Don't you worry Hinata. Kiba and Shino won't mind a bit. This is good training for you and if we drill you on behavior then in the future you won't be flustered if you encounter this problem again." Hinata could not refuse Kurenai. The woman had become like a mother to Hinata and she knew deep down that Kurenai only wanted the best for her. So she sighed softly and then nodded.

Kurenai pulled Hinata to her feet and then hugged her around the shoulders briefly. "Atta girl. All right, now let's grab the guys shall we?" The woman turned to see she need not look too far. The boys had been pretending to warm up, but already they were trotting over to their sensei and teammate. Kurenai's face contorted inward just a bit. "Shino, next time I pull a teammate off to the side for a chat, I prefer you don't use your insects to listen into our conversations. Is that clear?" Shino ducked his head slightly. Hinata marveled at Kurenai's power over the boy. There were very few people that Shino feared to anger. For an instant, Hinata wished she could have the kind of personality Kurenai had, one that demanded respect.

"Now then. For the moment, Kiba-kun, I want to pretend that you're a creepy stranger who wants to take Hinata out somewhere. Hinata, I want you to refuse him firmly because you aren't interested. Please let's try to make this realistic okay?" The last comment was directed at Kiba who looked rather sheepish at the prospect of playing a creepy guy hitting on Hinata. Akamaru panted and wagged his tail, seemingly amused by the embarrassment of his master.

"Err… right," Kiba said trying to think of how to get in character. Shino watched his awkward teammates for a moment and then suggested in a very monotone voice. "Just be yourself Kiba, it shouldn't be that hard."

Kiba flipped him the bird and gave him a look that said, "I'll get you for that later." Then he sauntered casually up to Hinata. "Hey there. You're looking radiant tonight. Why don't you and I go get a few drinks? On me?" His voice was smooth and deep, sending a shiver down Hinata's back. A blush dusted Hinata's cheeks when Kiba got so close to her. He was a terribly convincing actor. "N-No thanks," Hinata stuttered. "I have, um, plans. Sorry."

Kiba had to stop himself from rolling his eyes at her continued politeness. He reached a hand across her waist and pulled her to him, "Aw come on, it'll be fun. Plans change all the time right? I know a place that has great sake and is real quiet." His cheek was practically pressed up against hers and she could feel the heat radiating off of her face. Hinata struggled to remember that this was just a training exercise. "N-No, really I can't. Um, I have to go…" She pushed gently against Kiba, trying to loosen herself from his grip.

At that point Kurenai halted them. "Okay Hinata, let's stop there. Kiba-kun, why don't you tell her why you didn't take no for an answer the first time?"

Kiba grinned wolfishly. "Because Hinata-chan is so pretty I couldn't let her go." Hinata's eyes widened to the size of tea saucers and Shino glared evilly at Kiba before the young shinobi waved his hand in the air and said, "I'm joking! Well not about Hinata-chan being pretty, but… anyway… Hinata-chan, you have to be more forceful. I know it's hard for you but if you say 'No thanks' or 'Sorry' guys will see that as you regretting that you are denying them, which means they might still have a shot. You have to be firm and say, "I'm not interested" or turn your back or move away. That's more of a clear indication of you sincerely not wanting anything to do with them."

Kurenai clapped her hands. "Well put Kiba. Do you understand Hinata? Guys are deflected by a more forceful 'no.'"

Hinata nodded her head. She would try her best. Kurenai smiled. "Okay we're going to do this drill until you can do it properly. Ready guys? Switch spots."

They ran the drill six more times before Hinata became confident enough to tell both boys to back off. By then it was nearing midday and so Kurenai called that the end of training for the day. She patted Hinata on the back and asked her if she felt more confident now. Hinata smiled shyly and agreed. She _did_ feel more confident. If that guy came back she would have no trouble telling him to get lost. After agreeing to meet again the next morning before Kurenai went out on a mission, the team went their separate ways.

The next afternoon, Hinata was in the market square with Tenten. The girls had run into each other earlier that day at the weapons shop where they had been restocking their ninja gear. It was not uncommon for Hinata to come at least twice a month to replace lost or damaged shuriken or kunai knives. During a fight there wasn't often time to retrieve weapons that missed their targets. Tenten was always in this shop, especially when new weapons were displayed. As weapons were her specialty, she was always up to date on the latest and greatest in ninja equipment. The girls had the afternoon off and so decided to spend the afternoon browsing the shops and grabbing lunch at a small barbeque restaurant.

They sat and chatted amiably for awhile. Or rather Tenten talked a lot and Hinata listened happily. After awhile, Tenten excused herself to go find the restroom. Hinata was content. It wasn't often that she was able to hang out with the other kunoichi that were her age as Sakura was always busy running new medical experiments with the Godaime, Tsunade-sama, and Ino was working at her family's flower shop when she wasn't out on missions. As she contemplated stopping by to visit the other two girls soon, a shadow fell over her table. The girl looked up and her look of contentment turned into one of alarm. Sure enough, the ninja from the Mist had found her again. "Hey there," he said cheerfully. "Fancy running into you again Hinata-chan."

"Y-Yasumasa-san!" she chirped, trying to keep her voice from betraying her alarm at seeing him so soon.

"Ah, you remembered!" he grinned widely. He was rather handsome, if Hinata had to admit it, but he still made her nervous. "You know Hinata-chan, I'm only here a few more days. I was thinking you could show me around and we could have some fun while I'm here. What do you say?"

_I must be firm, I must be firm, I must be firm, _she chanted in her head as she turned her eyes toward him instead of the comforting view of the table. "No, I'm not interested Yasumasa-san," she said evenly, just the way she had rehearsed.

His smile faded just a little bit. "But you told me 'another time,'" he replied quickly. Then he leaned casually over her seat and rested a hand on her arm as he said more quietly, "Now's as good as any, right?" His voice was light and even but she could detect a hint of demand in his tone. She swallowed and tried again, her blush of embarrassment betraying the tone of total disinterest that Kurenai had suggested she use. "I said no. Now please leave me alone."

He looked about ready to try something else but suddenly an angry voice spoke right behind him. "You heard the girl, get lost!" He turned to find a very displeased Tenten behind him. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was interrupting anything…" he tried smoothly, but Tenten wasn't buying it. "Where is your escort? All visitors to this village are required to have an escort unless given express permission from the Hokage. If I see you harassing anyone else in the village I'll report you. Now can you find your way back to your quarters or shall I find someone to take you back?" Her eyes were dangerous and she had an air about her that suggested that she wasn't bluffing. Not wanting to cause a scene the man bowed his head toward the younger girl. "That won't be necessary. Sorry for disturbing you Hinata-chan." With that, the man was gone and Hinata heaved a shaky sigh of relief.

"Do you know that guy? You looked scared so I didn't think so but he called you Hinata-chan…" Tenten said with a frown of confusion on her face as she sat down across from Hinata.

"No, he… well…" Hinata stared down at her plate as she then related the story of her meeting with the Mist ninja and the subsequent training that followed the encounter. Tenten nodded when Hinata finished. "I knew I smelled trouble on that guy. I wonder if I should report him after all. He didn't have an escort either time you've seen him so that makes me worried."

Hinata shook her head. "I'm sure it's nothing. You put him on his guard so I doubt he'll be causing anymore problems. I wish I could be as bold as you."

Tenten laughed. "Nah, you don't. My mouth gets me in trouble more often than not, or hasn't your cousin told you about our latest mission?" Hinata listened intently as Tenten recounted their latest mission to Wave Country and how she had told off a man in town for being rude and obnoxious to their party only to discover that it was a high ranking government official. By the end of the story both girls were laughing, Tenten's cheeks were rosy and the Mist ninja was all but forgotten.

It wasn't until the next afternoon that the subject was brought up again. Hinata had agreed to meet up with Kiba to do some tracking exercises since Kurenai was on a mission and would be gone several days. After playing Akamaru's favorite game of hide and go fetch, where Hinata would go anywhere in the Konoha forest and hide an article of her clothing or a personal item and he would have to bring it back, Kiba thought to ask if she had seen the ninja or had any other problems.

Hinata's ears turned red as she stuttered out a response. "Well, y-yes I did see him again. H-he, um, well I saw him at the, at the barbeque restaurant when I was with Tenten-chan and he… he asked me t-to go show him around the, the village since he's only here f-for a few more days. I did just what you told me to and said no, b-but he said I had promised and then he got so close to me. I told him no again but then Tenten showed up and scared him away." Hinata had wrapped her arms protectively around her body and was now looking at her shoe as though knowing that she must have done something wrong.

Kiba's eyes softened at that look. He knew Hinata didn't realize that she killed him inside whenever she looked so helpless. "Hey, okay well Tenten is pretty scary so she probably deterred the guy. You did good, Hinata-chan, no worries. I'm sure you were very forceful. I think this guy is probably one of those that don't get the hint right away. If you want though, until he leaves the village I can walk you home or come get you for training. You know, not that I don't think you can handle yourself, just that I can't imagine it would be very fun to meet up with him again by yourself."

Hinata agreed and took Kiba's offer to walk her home after practice. She felt a little silly, like she had her own personal bodyguard, but Kiba seemed more content in knowing that Hinata wasn't by herself.

Two days passed in this manner. Hinata would meet Kiba or Shino at the front gate of the Hyuuga manor and go to practice and then in the afternoon after they had finished practice or had gone for lunch or had done what shopping they needed, the boys would bring her home. Never once did they complain about the task, even though Hinata felt like a burden and offered to walk home herself. Both Kiba and Shino agreed that her safety was important to them. Shino realized that in saying this, they were making it sound like Hinata was weak so he tried to ease her mind. "Hinata, we know very well that you are not physically weak. However, resorting to violence is sometimes the only option if a man is persistent and as your teammates we don't want any harm to come to you, physical or emotional. Once the delegate from the Mist leaves tomorrow, we can go back to the way things were." Hinata didn't realize how worried she had been until Shino said this. Her shoulders instantly relaxed. _They don't think I'm weak_. She smiled. "Thank you Shino-kun."

Finally, it was the last day. The group from the Village Hidden in the Mist departed at dawn. Neji had seen them walk past the Hyuuga Manor that morning, escorted by a handful of Konoha ninja and told Hinata as much as they ate the morning meal. Hinata breathed a soft sigh of relief, tucking her hair behind her ear as she smiled inwardly. Now she could focus on her upcoming mission.

The day sailed by, with Hinata feeling like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She was even more talkative that day than she usually was. She discussed her mission to the Land of Tea with Kiba and met with their two other teammates Shikamaru and Asuma-sensei to discuss strategy. They were scheduled to leave early the next morning. They had been hired by a nobleman to discover the whereabouts and hopefully capture a renegade group of warriors that had burned and pillaged several of the small villages under his protection. It was not a particularly dangerous mission, but one that did require tracking and stealth. This would be Hinata's second assignment in the Land of Tea and she was looking forward to it after being stuck in Konoha and the surrounding villages for so long.

After their meeting, Hinata and Kiba went to the market to gather the provisions they would need for their trip and as the sun was setting, Hinata remembered that she needed to water Kurenai-sensei's plants for her before she left. Kurenai would be back within the next couple of days and had asked Hinata to water the small flowers and potted plants in her apartment while she was away. Promising to meet Kiba at the gate in the morning at 7:30, Hinata parted with her teammate and turned toward Kurenai's apartment complex. She used the spare key Kurenai had given her to let herself in. Humming gently, she filled the small watering can at the kitchen faucet and sprinkled all the flowers and plants except the cactus sitting in the front room. Hinata was happy that Kurenai had asked her to take care of the plants. Hinata too had a green thumb like her sensei and she loved watching the plants flourish under her tender ministrations.

Satisfied that the plants would be fine until her teacher returned, Hinata left Kurenai's place and headed home to pack her bag. Dusk had fallen and the streets were slowly emptying as the villagers drifted home from work or shopping. Hinata smiled, letting her feet carry her home as she ran a mental checklist of things she needed to pack. As she was passing the Hokage Tower and trying to remember whether or not she had replenished her small med kit since her last mission, soft footfalls broke into her thoughts. She didn't jump or freeze, but she sharpened her senses. She glanced about warily and saw no one. She was only a few streets away from the Hyuuga manor. She continued walking. Again she heard the slight noise of someone behind her. She whispered softly, activating her bloodline, the Byakugan, to discover who or what was following her. There on the roofline above her! She spun around suddenly, grabbing a kunai from the pouch on her thigh. The man she had seen chuckled and leapt down from his perch. It was none other than the persistent Mist ninja.

"I thought so," the man said softly, just feet in front of Hinata now. "When I saw you for the first time I assumed you were one of them, but now I know for sure."

"Wh-What are you talking about? Why are you still here? The Mist delegation left this morning," Hinata said warily, her kunai at the level of her chin and poised to strike at the slightest provocation. This man was no longer just a determined admirer. He was now a threat to Konoha. Why else would he be sneaking around the village? Hinata didn't like it one bit.

"Oh yes they left. They won't miss me though, as I was never really part of the party to begin with. I'm not from the Mist." Hinata hesitated. If he wasn't a Mist ninja then who was he?

"What do you want here Yasumasa?" she demanded, not moving an inch. Her muscles were tensed to spring at any moment.

"I thought that was obvious Hinata-chan," he said stepping closer to her with a menacing grin. "I want you and the special gift you possess. I need your Byakugan to help me in my research."

"And what makes you think I'd help you?" she asked. She kept her Byakugan active, trying to sense if there were any other ninja nearby, either friend or foe. She would have to play this carefully, as she didn't know the other shinobi's skill set.

The man lunged forward, grabbing her wrists. He leaned forward, his face inches from hers. "Because if you don't, I'll have to hurt you. You don't want that do you Hinata-chan?" Hinata twisted her arms up and out of his hold, dropping to the ground and sweeping her foot toward the back of Yasumasa's knees. The man jumped away just in time. "I'd rather die than betray my village!" Hinata said fiercely, in a fit of passion very uncommon to her character. While Hinata was normally so reserved and shy when it came to protecting the people and the village she loved, she would go down cursing the name of anyone that dared to attempt them harm.

"Well then, thankfully I've prepared an alternative," he replied, a scowl on his face as he pulled a strange reed instrument from the pouch on his hip. Not waiting to discover what he was doing, Hinata rushed forward to attack, having learned that disabling the opponent early was the best strategy. However when she was less than a foot in front of him, her body snapped into an odd position, her feet turning the opposite way that she had intended. A shrill high note hit the air and Hinata found, to her horror that she was actually moving away from her opponent and toward the Village Gates. "Wha? What?" Hinata cried as she tried desperately to fight against the strange sensation that now pulled her along the street and under the high gates that marked the entrance to Konoha. _It's the music_, she realized as she fought in vain to raise her hands to her ears. _It's controlling me somehow!_ Her hands shook as she reached the main entry road of the village as she fought against the enchanting melody. Her captor followed several feet behind her. She saw the guard in the watchtower and tried to call out a warning, but it seemed that he too was under the enemy's spell. The guard's movements were shaky and his face was a mask of alarm and he let out a cry as he suddenly ran forward and flew down the steps of the tower, landing with a soft thud at the bottom, unmoving.

Hinata tried to turn her head back toward her captor but found herself compelled forward once again against her wishes. "Keep going Hinata," Yasumasa ordered as the music echoed across the cliff faces outside the village gates, keeping her trapped. "I'm taking you home with me."

Hinata yelped as chakra poured unbidden into her eyes from her core. Yasumasa's music could pull chakra into any form it seemed, forcing its victim to move or act based on where their chakra was located. A hundred symbols ripped through her mind as the older nin attempted to learn about her skills as they began to trudge through the woods. But she would not let him get such information easily. "Stop! The bloodline traits will not reveal themselves to the likes of you. I will not give you my village's secrets!" The man frowned and several harsh notes burst forth from the instrument. It was like a tag had exploded in her skull. Hinata shrieked and dropped to her knees, her body suddenly hers again as she clutched her head in agony.

"You will submit to me! If you don't I will take those eyes from your skull and discover your secrets for myself," his voice was low and dangerous.

"No! N-Naruto-kun w-would never f-forgive me. I would r-rather die."

Abandoning his instrument, the man grabbed the trembling girl by the hair and yanked her upright. He replaced his reed pipe with a kunai instead. "Fine, perhaps my employer wouldn't be too disappointed with just a Byakugan eye instead of the whole wielder." Hinata's eyes grew wide with horror and pain. She jabbed and scratched and kicked at her captor in the attempt to break his hold. Yasumasa dodged while demanding, "Stay still dammit!" However, Hinata rembered Kurenai's words then and yelled, "NO!" as forcefully as she could while shoving her palm hard into his chest over and over in the Gentle Fist style. The tip of the kunai bit into her cheekbone just below her eye as her opponent doubled over, trying to breathe. Blood dribbled down his chin and onto her clothes before he slowly, ever so slowly, fell to the ground.

For several long moments, Hinata just sprawled there on the forest floor gasping for air and trying to calm her racing heart and tired body. His jutsu had forced Hinata to use large quantities of her chakra and now she felt drained. However, Hinata knew she hadn't killed the invader and she needed to find help before the man came to. Thankfully, she needn't look too far. As she struggled to her feet, loud footsteps and voices rang through the forest. Shino and Kiba closely followed by three ANBU sprinted toward her. "Hinata!"

"Kiba-kun! Shino-kun!" Hinata gasped, stumbling as she reached for the embrace of her comrades. "How did you know where to find me?"

Kiba smirked grimly. "I ran into Shino on the way home and Akamaru picked up a funny sound in the center of the village. We came to check it out and found one of the guards telling an ANBU that a Hyuuga had been kidnapped by a Sound nin."

"It seems that you incapacitated him pretty thoroughly, Hinata-sama," one of the ANBU declared, a man with a clay Bear mask who was currently examining Hinata's handiwork.

"Ah… Hinata-chan?" Kiba asked hesitantly, watching as the ANBU operatives flipped the rogue nin over and stripped his armor and equipment before binding his hands and feet. "Is that the same guy that was hitting on you?"

"The same," Shino noted.

"He… he wanted the secrets of the Hyuuga's bloodline from me. When I refused, he tried to… to take it by force. And I remembered the training from the other day and I, um, refused him." Hinata said it solemnly but smiled just a little when she finished. The leader of the ANBU group pulled Hinata aside after that to gather the specifics about their captive.

As their teammate and the ANBU leader began to walk back toward the village, both boys turned around once more as the last two of the ANBU operatives hauled the unconscious nin over their shoulders and departed. "Shino, remind me to never flirt with Hinata-chan," Kiba said. "It seems we taught her a little too well."

Shino nodded with a sense of pride. It seemed that their Hinata did not need bodyguards after all.

**Reviews are appreciated! Thanks for reading.**


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